Vivien Sansour

Vivien Sansour is a writer, producer, and photographer living in Beit Jala. She has worked with farmers in the field for over six years, capturing their stories for the wider world. She is currently a doctoral candidate for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at North Carolina State University.

Israel's brutal crackdowns on Palestinians living under its occupation dominate the news, but other longer-term trends are equally worrying. The Palestinian Authority is confiscating more and more land from Palestinian farmers in order to build industrial zones, which strips farmers of their right to grow their own food and further increases Palestinian dependency on Israel. Al-Shabaka Guest Author Vivien Sansour and Al-Shabaka Program Director Alaa Tartir argue that sustained community efforts are needed to preserve one of the most important elements of resistance that Palestinians have.